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Foodies are in for a treat at The Romsey Show!

Food aficionados are in for a treat with a souped up food offering at The Romsey Show this year.

The Show Society has brought all the catering in-house and has gone back to its roots as it celebrates The Show’s 175th anniversary, with a strong emphasis on artisan local producers.

Judith Long, chief steward of the Food Zone, said there will be something for all tastes and pockets at The Show on 9 September, hosted by the historic Broadlands Estate. She said: “We’re an agricultural show promoting and supporting British farming and producers so we felt that rather than contracting out the public catering again this year with the usual fast food on offer we’d oversee it ourselves to bring in more variety and quality. “People are much more aware these days about the provenance of their food, they want to know the story around it and meet the producers, which makes it so much more interesting.”

The Food Zone – two big marquees and a picnic area with live jazz band – goes from strength to strength with a wide number of treats on offer.

A flavour of the producers in the Food Zone is:

 Duncroft Preserves, with mother and daughter Judy and Jenny making gluten-free cakes, pies and bread.

 The Cold Pressed Oil Company, where rapeseed is grown on the farm, harvested and pressed, making mouthwatering products such as infused oil, sauces and dressings

Some of the region’s top chefs will be sharing their skills in the cookery theatre – including Andy MacKenzie, Executive Chef of Lainston House Hotel at Sparsholt; Sylvain Gachot, who runs the chef’s academy at the Lainston House Hotel for the whole Exclusive Hotels Group and will be demonstrating his favourite recipes; James Golding, Chef Director of the Pig Hotels; and Tony Doyle, Head Chef at the Rockingham Arms, West Wellow.

There’s also a free Kids Kitchen run by Halterworth Primary School where youngsters can learn about where their food comes from and make smoothies and wraps to take away.

As well as the Food Zone, there are over 1,000 animals being shown, around 24,000 visitors and 500 retail stands at The Show.

Heritage and history will form part of the spectacle as The Romsey Show hits a landmark 175 years.

One of the oldest agricultural shows in the country, The Show started out in 1842 when Queen Victoria was on the throne and steam trains were in their heyday.

Based on the historic Broadlands estate, visitors will be treated to a true celebration of the English countryside and farming on Saturday 9 September. Crowd-pulling attractions will include over 1,000 livestock, heavy horse parades, the country’s best farriers, and more than 500 retail stands for those looking for a country-style shopping fix.

In line with the history theme, Salisbury resident Dr Phil Harding from TV’s Time Team is this year’s President and visitors can dive into the past thanks to hands-on activities with Wessex Archaeology.

Dr Harding said: “Rural community spirit marked the Neolithic Revolution in Britain, 6,500 years ago. I sense this spirit remains as strong in this, my Presidential year, as The Romsey Show reaches its land mark 175 year anniversary.”

The 175th celebrations will kick off with the big build when the parkland at Broadlands is transformed with marquees and rings ready for the big day on Saturday 9 September. New attractions for the anniversary year include the humorous Mole Show, a magnificent Falcon Village, the dog and duck show, and don’t miss the Sheep Show with some amazing dancing sheep!

Show Secretary Alexa Hobday said: “The Romsey Show started off in the Market Square all those years ago and we know from our archive that hundreds of thousands of people have enjoyed a real celebration of the countryside over all these years.

“We stay true to our traditions by always providing the best entertainment, food and countryside day out but we also like to keep up to date and The Romsey Show this year has exciting new attractions for all the family.”

Tickets have been frozen at last year’s prices with under 11s free and they are available at www.romseyshow.co.uk from July.

We had a wonderful time representing the school at The Romsey Show on Saturday. It was great to meet so many Old Simmarians and we also spoke to a lot of people who were interested to hear about St. Mary's. We all battled through the mud and, thankfully, the sun shone for most of the day. Many thanks go to our outstanding prefect representatives who gave up their Saturday to support us.

The closing stages of a very successful Romsey Show 2017....
Big Thanks to both the day and night Security Teams for all your hard work! 👍👏
#TheRomseyShow2017 #TheRomseyShow17 #TheRomseyShow #AECProtection 🇬🇧

A fabulous day at the Romsey Show today - lovely to meet lots of new faces & great to see friends (& then posing with their photographic counterparts!!) A huge thank you to all the marshals for doing a great job in very muddy conditions! And a MASSIVE thank you to Laura for her help!! 😀😀 I decided not to join in the fray trying to get the car in after the show closed so if any of my buddies with 4x4s are around tomorrow morning expect a call as I'm going in!! 😵😀😵😀😵😀

As the sun sets over the Show and the flag is lowered to the dulcet tones of the Michelmersh Silver Band, we would just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the Show this year and for all the people who braved the weather to visit. Here's to next year #RomseyShow2018 ... See MoreSee Less

Jess SellwoodGood day but definitely need more of the tracks for those of us who need to access the showground beforehand. Also needed more 4x4 and tractors to tow people on this morning, at 6.30am there was one tractor available! It's not like you didn't know last night how bad it was as you were towing people off! We didn't get any stock onto our stall until 8am which was when the show opened!

Theresa LovettGreat show as always but terrible traffic from M271 to get there - 1.5 hours from Rownhams, all because there was no traffic control at the roundabout near the entrance and A27 traffic got right of way

2 weeks ago · 1

Maddy WaittA massive shout out to the lovely lady who carried my stock from the car. She was attending the show with dogs and was waiting for her friends to arrive as they were stuck in the traffic. Without your help I would not have made it on to the show ground so thanks xx also thanks to mike for driving down with his 4x4 to take my stand and stock back to my car. A lot of hard work by great people helping me out. It's a shame more is not done for the traders as the cost of the show is one of the highest in the area. Interesting to see the tractor tow the massive lorry on site for one trade stand churning up the area for all the cars to struggle through and they hadn't even started to pack up. Rydale must pay lots into the show to get that special if not stupid treatment.

2 weeks ago

Laura SmithWe enjoyed our day out yesterday. But I can totally agree with everyone else. The traffic was horrendous. Although I appreciate classes were taken back an hour. But why wasn't there a separate entrance for cars and lorries? Despite all this we arrived at our class on time and came home with fab results. I was fortunate to win some prize money but was given the wrong card. When I had asked where I should go. I had been appointed from one tent to the next. The woman I had spoken with was extremely rude and not helpful what so ever.! Eventually ending back at the tent where I started. A lovely woman was very helpful. I little more organisation next year. We will be back though 😊

2 weeks ago

Linda WilliamsShame the traffic light held people up coming into the show took to long was better when they filtered from each side

2 weeks ago · 1

Christina OldhamWe enjoyed the show, as always! A pity nothing was put on the mud to help people get around more easily though. Well done to everyone for enabling Show to happen!

2 weeks ago

Neil CavillTotally mismanaged show today...you knew the forecast but still didn't sort the roadways for exhibitors and traders. Try harder next time before you lose them

Elizabeth FranklinUnfortunately I can't comment on the show. After queing in traffic for almost an hour to travel just over a mile we arrived about 11.30am and headed off to buy our tickets and were directed by a lady to continue straight ahead. We were then told by a male volunteer that the back of the queue was in the other direction and must have been about a quarter of a mile! We decided to give up and and go back to the car to leave. It's a shame that the helpers had different instructions....

2 weeks ago

Laura FennellGreat show. Shame about the mud. Maybe move it forward next year as it has rained the last few years

2 weeks ago

Gillian RallsI've been coming to this show for the past ten years in all weather varieties. Have they changed the organisers? Usually in the weather we've had recently they have laid tracks for the stallholders and competitors so they can access the site ,they've had quite a few boardwalks laid around for visitors to get around and they've laid straw. Also getting to the showground used to be so well organised,different routes for entry and exit and more of them! It's a lovely show but they're going to lose traders,exhibitors and visitors if they are this badly organised in future. All being said, when we finally reached the showground we had a good day and particularly enjoyed Bill's terrier racing as always, but then we had half price tickets. I wouldn't have been happy to pay the full price and only get onto the showground by almost lunchtime having left home at 9.30 and only living 30minutes away!

Elizabeth KennedyFabulous day today. Thoroughly enjoyed it all. I've been coming to The Show for as long as I can remember. Well done!

2 weeks ago

Jan GraftonMy first visit. Loved it all, so much space to appreciate all that's on offer! Queuing not a problem at all! Thank you to all the organisers and volunteers.

2 weeks ago

Kathryn Tranter-SheehanGreat day out, only 1 heavy down pour while eating lunch... yes a bit muddy in places especialy on the main tracks, but it has been raining for days , also a lack of small rubbish bins by the side of eating stations but otherwise good show. Only a 10 min wait to get in the ground from Junction 3 end. !

2 weeks ago

Michael IngramTraffic in was a joke from M27 took an hour and half to get down to A27 and entrance, made worse by the exit road leading people out of the show joining the queue of cars trying to get in. Piss poor organisation. It was our first visit, and having taken over 2 hours to do 30 minute journey, one and a half to cover the last 2 miles, I don't think we will bother again.

2 weeks ago

David SmithI'm sorry to say the site management was very poor, I fully understand the weather didn't help however plans must be made for every eventuality. The site staff simply didn't know what to do, three times we were told three different plans for us to exit the site. Shouted at by a very stressed out traffic marshal after being directed by one of her colleagues. We support the show and will continue to support the show however many other people and traders may not be so supportive. Please improve for the sake of the event, see you next year, we look forward to not sitting in the car for over three hours to vacate the site.

2 weeks ago · 3

Tiggys Place Pet Supplies - HampshireWe arrived at 7pm Friday and by 8.15pm we still could not access the site as we only managed to get about 50 metres down the track due to constantly getting stuck in the mud. The tractor told us he would tow us back to the main road and then tow us in backwards. When we got back to the road he then told us he could no longer tow us as we were no longer stuck so our only option was to try again and get stuck again but we also couldn't do that as at 8.30pm an attendant came and told us we had to leave as they were closing the site (despite our paperwork and the website saying they would be open until 9pm). We thought 2 hours so set up the night before would be plenty of time. We had to go away with our gazebo and stands still in the car meaning the next day we'd have to make two trips, one with the gazebo and stands and one with the stock. We arrived before 6am but it was the same story. A tanker stuck blocking the road so we were told to take another route, that one had a van and a horse trailer stuck and only 1 tractor pulling. Given we were in a queue to be towed in and that we'd have to be towed out again and then drive back home to get our stock and drive back and be towed in again and then set up everything which takes nearly 3 hours (part of which was meant to be done the night before but we couldn't get access to the site) we just were never going to be able to do it and be ready before midday so had to make the hard decision to leave. Without a 4x4 or a car a bit sturdier than a ford focus, towing a trailer onto the grounds without tractor assistance was impossible. We tried. I really hope we can get a stall refund as this has been a huge disappointment for us. We've lost hours in preparation time and hours at the site getting no-where, we've wasted petrol and effort, we've spent money advertising that we would be at this show and of course we now have excess stock now which was purchased specfically for this event. I hope the organisers appreciate how difficult it was for us to get in and appreciate that we really tried and it was an upsetting decision to leave and are kind hearted enough to refund our fee so we can recoup at least something as we're just a small independent business.

2 weeks ago · 3

Sian HarrisI love Romsey Show, we always come to show our shires but yesterday the traffic situation was an absolute joke.
It took nearly 2hrs to get from junction 3 M27 to the showground.
I appreciate it's popular but I do think it needs to be traffic managed better especially to give horseboxes and exhibitors a different route to the general public.
Without the exhibitors etc there is no show after all and seems unfair that we should all leave at stupid o'clock just to avoid the traffic especially when our class wasn't until the afternoon.
Romsey is one of the best and I'd appreciate if the organisers could look into this for future years.
As for mud, you did the best you could under the circumstances. That rain Friday was so unfortunate.

2 weeks ago · 1

Christine HunterFirst the good, the lady steward who tried to get me help to carry my rabbits and associated grooming/feeding supplies to the rabbit tent, to the man who gave me a lift from the front entrance to my car in the buggy to get the second load. I'm sorry I don't know either of their names but a big thank you.
Agree with others the traffic organisation this year was horrendous. It took over an hour to cover the last mile due to the traffic from the A27 before 8am. Traffic control there next year or different routes for exhibitors please. As a result of being late I could not get onto the showground or prepare my animals properly for show.
The labels for the blue parking disappear after the first one! Reappear once you are in the car park. The car-park directions given by the stewards were less than helpful, mine was follow the car in front, who clearly didn't know exactly where he was going.
I was directed to the public disabled parking, as I have a blue badge, which was probably nearer than Trade 1. As others have said and you've explained why to me, no visible effort made to try to make the showground navigable. For those with difficulty it really meant we were confined to one area. Its an established show, the rain was forecast so some of these situations could have been planned for.
Romsey is a popular show but needs a little bit more planning to help exhibitors and visitors.

2 weeks ago · 1

Sue KeetchFabulous show , second year we have competed , coming over from the Isle of Wight ,well run and friendly atmosphere , hopefully make it again next yesr

Charlotte McIntoshApparently there was a broken down vehicle blocking entrance a friend of mine who is here says they are delaying the ring start times hope that helps. Not sure why they haven't posted this though as would be very helpful x

3 weeks ago

Nathan ChartWould love to but poor traffic management outside means we can't get in, absolute gridlock and traffic not moving at all.